The state CID's annual crime report gives little cause to cheer, what with molestation, sexual harassment, kidnapping and rape reporting a rise in 2013, as opposed to 2012
Robbery
Atrocities against women in the state shot up by 46.08 per cent last year, with a simultaneous surge in atrocities against children, claims the annual report of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) published yesterday at its headquarters.
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Other than its sixteenth annual report, Crime in Maharashtra 2013, the CID also published a small booklet ‘Crime in Maharashtra-2013 Compendium’, which has a detailed version of various subjects such as atrocities on women, child abuse, police suicide, fake currency and other issues. The report was released by the state’s Additional Director General of Police (CID) S P Yadav, Pune Commissioner of Police Satish Mathur and Additional Director General (Prison) Meeran Chadha Borwankar.
Across the country, more than 3.9 lakh cases of atrocities against women were registered. The state, just as Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, witnessed an increase in the cases.
Cognisable offences surged if one compares the figures from the previous year, 2012; in Mumbai the number increased by 39.22% and in Pune by 14.82%.
Grim stats
The report observes that during 2013, dacoity cases in the state increased by 5%, burglary by 17.1%, and robbery by 40.3%, as compared to 2012. The CID claims that robberies increased due to additional cases of chain snatching.
On the other hand, crimes under the heads of preparation for dacoity decreased by 18.3%, counterfeiting of currency decreased by 16.8%, and dowry deaths by 2.7%.
In 2013, property-related offences, which consist of robbery and theft, increased by 15%. While detection of such cases is 35%, the recovery is only 27%. The recovery percentage is almost the same as compared to 2012. The property stolen under the theft category amounts to Rs 536 crore.
Economic offences, committed by white-collar workers, rose by 9% compared to 2012. As compared to other states, in 2013, Maharashtra ranked first in robbery, reporting 9,746 cases. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh trail the state.
Thefts reached 52,670 the same year, while burglary cases reached 18,328, mostly reported from Mumbai followed by Pune, Nagpur and Akola.
Conviction rates
The state achieved a 13.3% conviction rate in cases under the Indian Penal Code during 2013, up from 9.4% in 2012.
Moreover, there was a continual rise in conviction rate during January (16.6%) and February (15.5%). Conviction rate under special and local laws increased by 18.9% as compared to 16.3% in 2012.
Considering the average conviction rate in the state, the heads under which the conviction rates are lower than the state average are dacoity (2.35%), arson (2.4%), hurt (5.3%), riot (6.3%), criminal breach of trust (7%).
Conviction rate is a complicated concept that directly involves police machinery, prosecutor, judiciary, various experts and different elements in the society. Consolidated involvement and coordination of all these elements are required to increase the rate.
Though conviction rate improved by 3.9% in 2013, the government and police machinery took a serious note of the generally low figure, and resolved to increase it.
Every month, information regarding conviction rates is sought from all police units by the CID. A detailed study is made pertaining to cases in which the accused are convicted and those in which they are acquitted by the units. The final analysis report is sent to the DGP’s office every month.
With the help of a monthly report on conviction rate, awareness concerning the importance of conviction has been raised in all police units. Proper measures are taken at all levels to increase the rate. Due to this project, information regarding criminals and method of crime will be immediately available to police which will accelerate the investigation of crime.
Atrocities against women
During 2013, crime against women increased by 46.8% in the state: molestation (106.7%), sexual harassment (103.4%), rape (66.6%), kidnapping and abduction (64.4%), dowry (30.3%), cruelty by husband and his relatives (15.2%).
Out of all the crimes against women, 33% pertain to cruelty by husband and in-laws, for which the conviction rate is as low as 2.6%.
The conviction rate for sexual harassment and molestation is 11.5% and 11.9%. However, there is a decline in crimes under immoral trafficking by 21%, and murder for dowry by 17%.
CID says the conviction rate needs to be increased with the help of modern techniques for collecting scientific evidences.
There was an increase in the number of juveniles in conflict with law by 20.8% as compared to 2012, and most affected juveniles are in the age group 16-18. There is also an increase by 85.5% in offences against children.
Crimes against children
During 2013, cases of crimes committed against children were 6,410, up by 85.47% from 2012’s figure of 3,456 cases. Around 197 cases were about child murders, of them six have been registered under infanticide and 191 as other murders. The incident of infanticide showed a decrease by 4.45% from 2012. Around 1,546 cases of rapes of minors were reported in 2013 up from 917 in 2012. The Mumbai commissionerate ranks first in reporting child sexual abuse cases at 221, followed by Pune railway (89), Pune commissionerate (83) and Thane commissionerate (81). Rape cases in the under-10 age group were 242 in 2013 and in 127 in 2012.
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Worrisome stats
Crimes against scheduled castes rose by 53.8% and those against scheduled tribes rose by 34.7%, as compared to 2012.
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